Westcott, Bucks

It is time again for the weekly Wednesday write-up from Westcott.  This has been a relatively quiet period, with nightly counts varying considerably.  The final night of the previous week (Tuesday 22nd) was a good one with 356 moths of 41 species, but then it got colder and counts fell dramatically, with only 78 moths of 11 species here on the 24th.  However, things have subsequently picked up again with another good, if rather damp, night on Monday 28th producing 343 moths of 37 species.  There have only been three further confirmed adult additions to the garden year-list, although I've found one or two more leaf-mines which have brought the 2020 total up to 579 species now:

(23rd)  Green-brindled Crescent

(25th)  Red-line Quaker
(28th)  Brick

Two other moths which have potential to be added to the garden year-list have been retained for dissection.  The first was a tortrix on the 26th which looks to me to be a candidate for Epinotia cinerea.  This species has been confirmed from the garden once before, although perhaps more likely is that it will turn out to be a plain example of Epinotia nisella.  

Epinotia species, Westcott 26th September

The second moth was a rather interesting noctuid on the 28th which I hope will turn out to be a form of the nationally scarce Pale-lemon Sallow rather than the oddly-coloured Sallow which I first thought it was when viewed in the trap before dawn.  If correct it will be the first record for Bucks in 48 years.

  

Possible Pale-lemon Sallow, Westcott 28th September

Needless to say, it has been Lunar Underwing which has accounted for most of the activity this week and the garden count for the season has now reached 2,591 individuals.  Last year's total has already been surpassed but I'll need to see roughly a thousand more for it to exceed what was achieved in 2014.  I doubt that'll happen now!  Deep-brown Dart and Black Rustic are also still doing well (counts now of 260 and 340 respectively) .  The only migrant noted here over this period was another Dark Sword-grass on the 27th.  My first Chestnut of the season appeared on the 28th, while two oddities that same night were a very late Orange Swift and a second-brood Swallow-tailed Moth.

Orange Swift, Westcott 28th September

Swallow-tailed Moth, Westcott 28th September

Based on past experience, species which are guaranteed still to appear here over the final three months of the year are now confined to Acleris hastiana, Acleris sparsana, December Moth, November Moth, Pale November Moth, Feathered Thorn, Scarce Umber, Figure of Eight, Sprawler, Large Wainscot & Yellow-line Quaker.  If I'm very lucky I might also get Northern Winter Moth, Autumnal Moth, Dewick's Plusia, Tawny Pinion, Oak Rustic or Large Ranunculus, while migrants like Vestal or Scarce Bordered Straw are still a faint possibility.  Others still to come but which have already been recorded here during the first few months of this year include Winter Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, Mottled Umber, Buttoned Snout, Dark Chestnut, Dotted Chestnut, Pale Pinion, Grey Shoulder-knot & Satellite.  There's not much left to see in 2020!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks